Manufacture of artificial threads, filaments, and the like



Nova 19, 1929. c. F. TOPHAM ET AL 1,736,681

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL THREADS, FILAMENTS, AND THE LIKE Filed March 51, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheeu 1 Nov. 19, 1929. c. F. TOPHAM ET AL MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL THREADS, FILAMENTS, AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1928 flvrmm m m m $3 W 0} RPM 1 z mmwn & m m5 B B Ji 2 I. ll B "B H U C I 2 5 Nbv. 19,1929. c. F. ITOPHAM ET AL MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL THREADS, FILAMENTS, AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 31, 1928 C. F. TOPHAM ET AL Nov. 19, 1929.

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL THREADS, FILAMENTS, AND THE LIKE Filed March 51, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 19, 1929. c. F. TOPHAM ET AL MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL THREADS, FILAMENTS, AND THE LIKE Filed March 31, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES FRED TOIPHAM, EDWARD HAZELEY, AND ERIC ANDREW MORTON, OF COV- ENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOBS TO COURTAULDS LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL THREADS, FILAMENTS, AND THE LIKE Application filed March 31, 1928, Serial No. 266,390, and in Great Britain May 23, 1927.

In the manufacture of artificial threads, filaments, and the like by the box spinning rocess, it is usual to pass the thread after eaving the spinning bath into a rapidly rotated box, the thread coiling itself against the wall of the said box, forming a ring or annular cake or thread, hereinafter referred to as cake. The cake of thread so formed still contains some of the contents of the spinning bath, which has been carried along by the thread, and in the further treatment of the thread it is necessary to remove these contents by washing or other means before drying the thread. Hitherto it has been customary to reel the thread from the cakes into skeins, and then subject the skeins to a washing treatment, but it has also been proposed in the manufacture of artificial silk or the like to wash the mass of thread While it is still in the form of a cake, and it has further been proposed, after the cake has been washed free from impurities, to reel the thread, while it is still wet, into skeins, and then to dry these skeins.

It has proved inadvisable to dry the thread while still in the form of the washed annular cake, since the thread on the outside of the cake dries under a tension which is greater than that to which the thread on the inside of the cake is subjected owing to the fact that the inside layers can contract readily while the outside layers dz not have the same opportunity of contracting. Consequently, if artificial silk which has been dried while in the form of an annular cake is used in the weft when weaving cloth, and the material so obtained is then wetted and dried again, that part of the silk which was on the outside of the cake will contract more than does thesilk which was on the inside of the cake, and the material, after this wetting and drying, will be uneven.

We have now found that this disadvantage can be avoided and thesilk can be dried while in the form of a cake instead of first winding it into skeins, if the cake be deformed so that it is no longer annular in shape, but so that practically all parts of the thread in the cake, whether on the inside or outside thereof, are accorded free opportunity to contract on drying, without being subjected to undue tension.

The cake may be deformed into any suitable shape, for example the cake may be pressed on the outside inwardly towards the centre ring at four more or less equidistant points approximately corresponding to the four points of the compass the extent to which the thread is pressed in being such thatwhen the thread contracts on drying, it is able to take up a new position without being placed under undue tension.

It is, however, to be understood that our invention is not restricted to deforming the cake in any particular manner such for example as that just described, as the invention is intended to cover all methods of deforming the cake which permit the thread being dried at all parts of the cake without being placed under undue tension. For example, the cake may be pressed in by the fingers, but we prefer to employ a suitable apparatus by which the deformation of the cake can be easily and rapidly effected, and will tend to give more uniform results.

It will also be understood that this invention is applicable to cakes of artificial silk which have been subjected to other processes as well as that of merely washing to remove harmful impurities such for example as the sulphiding or bleaching treatment.

In order that the invention may be fully understood we will more particularly describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate examples of apparatus for carrying the invention into practical effect.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 shews in elevation, partly in section, one construction of apparatus and Figures 2 and 3 shew in horizontal sections, taken on the line m, m, Figure 1, the position of parts before and after deformation of the cake, respectively. Figure 4 shews in elevation, partly in section, a modified construction of apparatus to that shown in Figure 1, Figures 5 and 6 are plans shewing the position of parts before and after deformation of the cake, re-

spectively, and Figure 7 shews the said apparatus in perspective. 4

less equidi tant vertical rods B, situated close to the inner periphery of the said cake paral- 10 lel with the central axis thereof and fitting into socketsin a base plate 0, so that they can be taken out from the said base plate when desired. Movable rods D, constituting an outer set and each of which is attached by a spring E to a central holder F, are arranged intermediate of and between the fixed rods B of the inner set but situated on the outer periphery of the cake A. The set of outer rods D are caused, by forcing downwardly a slidable ring G, encircling the said rods, to move along grooves H in the base plate C towards the axis of the cake A thus pressing the cake in at four points more, or less equidistant along the periphery thereoff, until the pressed-in portions of the cake are each about one inch from the central axis, as shewn in Figure 3. The slidable ring G is then raised, the set of outer rods D together with the central holder F, are lifted from the deformed cake A and the inner set of rods B are removed from the-sockets in the base plate 0, whereupon the said deformed cake can be transferred to the drying oven. The

outside yarn of the cake A is now free to contract, and during the drying the indentations formed in the said cake become less pronounced.

In some cases it is possible to eflect-the deformation of the cake without employing the inner set of rods, although as a general rule it is preferred to use the said inner set.

Example 2 The modified apparatus shewn in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 is provided with two sets of movable rods, the rods B of one set being situated inside the cake A, and the rods D of the other set being situated outside the cake, and during the deformation of the said cake the inner set of rods B move away from, and the outer set of rods D move towards, the central axis of the said cake. The rods of both sets are hinged at their lower ends, to the base plate C, while towards their upper ends the said rods ass through elongated openings j in a plat orm J, upon which the cake A to be deformed is placed. A slidable ring G secured to a central disc K by connecting pieces 71: is situated as shewn at the lower ends ofthe sets of rods, and can be.

moved vertically upwards, causmg the inner set of rods B to move away from and the outer set of rods D to move towards the central axis of the apparatus, so that the I cake which has been placed on the platform J and between the said two sets of rods becomes deformed as shewn in Figure 6. Then, on lowering the ring G, and the disc K, the two sets of rods B and D move in opposite directions away from the cake which can readil be removed from the platform J and trans erred to the drying own.

In order to retain the two sets of rods B and D in the normal osition shewn in Figures 6 and 7 after a de ormed cake A has been removed from the platform J, the inner set of rods B may be encircled by a rubber rin or band, and the upper end of each of the ro s D constitutin the outer set, may be connected by a spring to an outer part of the said platform.

What we claim is 1. The process of treating artificial threads, filaments and the like which have been obtained in the form of a cake by the box spinning process which consists in first washing thecake in order to remove harmful impurities, then deforming the cake so that it is no longer annular in shape, but so that practically all parts of the thread in the cake are accorded free opportunity to contract on drying, without being subjected to undue tension, and then drying the cake.

2. Apparatus for deforming cakes of artificial threads filaments and the like obtained by the box spinning process, the said apparatus comprising a set of movable rods adapted to engage the outer periphery of a cake and means for moving the said rods towards the centre of the said cake so that the shape of the said cake is deformed.

3. Apparatus for deforming cakes of artificial threads filaments and the like obtained by the box spinning process, the said apparatus comprising an outer set of movable rods and an 1nner set of movable rods between which two sets a cake is placed and means for moving the said outer set of rods towards the centre of the said cake and for moving the said inner set of rods in the opposite direction so that the shape of the said cake is deformed.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

CHARLES FRED TOPHAM. EDWARD HAZELEY. ERIC ANDREW MORTON. 

